Rachel Flynn was born in Bacchus Marsh (Victoria) on her parents eleventh wedding anniversary. Her mother always told her that she was the best present she ever received. At three years old Rachel was one of the first students at the new kindergarten, then attended Bacchus Marsh Primary School and High School. At 17 she went to Ballarat to train as a teacher, and taught in primary schools in Melbourne before having two children. Since then she has written several books for children and studied for two degrees, a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Education. She currently teaches at the Council of Adult Education (Melbourne) in the Professional Writing and Editing course. The two children have grown up and both attend RMIT University in Melbourne. After years of wondering who would give away a baby as an anniversary present, Rachel finally asked her mother and found out that she hadn't literally been a present at all, just a surprise. Rachel Flynn is well known for her hugely successful I Hate Fridays series including I Hate Fridays, It s Not Fair, Worried Sick, I Can't Waitand Messing Around. Some of these books have been shortlisted for several awards chosen by children themselves. Sacked, illustrated by Craig Smith, and Whisper Wild, Freedom Child (illustrated by Anna Pignataro) were both published in 2000. The Goat, the Duck